Bookshelf Speakers Test

Reviews on Bookshelf Speakers

"Spendor SA1"

Issue: 7/2008

On test: Spendor SA1

The Spendor SA1 speakers look just like any other set of standmounters on the market. Wood finish and available with a matching stand they certainly don't seem anything special, but fire them up and prepare to be amazed. → More

"Hearing is believing when it comes to budget speakers"

Issue: 4/2008

On test: Eltax Monitor IX, Mordaunt-Short Avant 914i, Quad 9L2, B&W 686

They can make or break your separates system, so ensure you choose wisely. The best stereo loudspeakers will really help your music sing. → More

"Leema's Xeros are heroes"

Issue: 11/2007

On test: Leema Xero

Leema achieved acclaim with its 'Xen' mini-monitors, designed to appeal top audiophiles and professional sound engineers alike. This new model is a far more decorative (read 'better-looking') version that comes in a choice of five smart and attractive real-wood finishes. → More

"Shiny happy speakers impress"

Issue: 11/2007

On test: Revolver Music 1

There's something instantly likeable about these speakers. Perhaps it's partly down to the combination of rock-solid build quality and uber-shiny black gloss finish. Perhaps it's the sight of a British hi-fi company sharing its name with one of the greatest of all British albums (The Beatles' 1966 masterpiece). Perhaps it even has something to do with that appealingly retro-looking logo at the bottom of each speaker. → More

Bookshelf Speakers

Hi-Fi and home cinema technology was only made possible with the invention of a method to turn sound into electrical energy. The microphone deals with this first conversion and then passes this information to the amplifier, which then adds power and sends the electrical impulses along wires or wirelessly to the speakers. The speaker is made up of a magnet and cone held in an electromagnetic field. When a current is supplied to the magnet, its polarity changes and it is this change which causes the cone to vibrate. Different frequency vibrations then produce higher or lower tones which travel through the air in the form of sound, or compression waves, which reach our ear and provide us with a near perfect reproduction of the original source.Although the trend now is to go for a 5.1 surround sound system, this may not be the best solution for your CD collection. The small satellite speakers of a surround sound set-up will never be able to deliver the full range of frequencies needed to perfectly reproduce the original sound.

A pair of bookshelf speakers won't take up as much space as a full-sized pair but can often match them for sound quality. The problem will be that they will often need more careful placing to achieve this. While floor-standing speakers are designed so that the sound is focused towards the listener's ear, a bookshelf speaker must be placed at the right height on a specially designed stand to get the same effect.

A normal bookshelf speaker will be around the size of a sheet of A4 paper and set you back anywhere upwards of one hundred pounds, a decent stand can cost the same amount, so remember to have a test-listen of your desired set and seek advice on component matching and positioning.

This category contains tests on compact speaker, compact speakers.